SANFORD D. BISHO P, JR. DISTRICT OFFICES' A L BANY S ECO N D DI S TRI CT , G EORG I A
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIA T IONS SUBCOMMITIEES RANKING M EMBER MILITARY CONSTRUCTION/VA 235 ROOSEVELT AVENU( ALBANY TOWERS, SU I TE 114 ALBANY, GA 31701 PHONE: 1229) 439-8067

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CO L UMBUS
AGRICUlTURE FINANCIAL S ERVICES 

# Qtnngr.ess nf t4.e 1ltnit.eh §tat.es Jlnu.s.e of i!l.epr.e.s.entatiu.e .s l!Elasqington. £1(!1 

### 20515 18 NINT" STREET, S UITE 201 COLUMBUS, GA 31901 PHONE: (706) 320-9477 FAX (706) 320-9479

· MACON WASHINGTON OFFICE' 2407 RAYBURN House OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-1002 PH ONE: (202) 225-3631 682 C"ERRY STREET, SUITE 302 MACON, GA 31201 PHONE: ( 478 ) 803-2631 FAX: (478) 803-2637 FAX: (202) 225-2203

Th e H o norab le Dr. E rn es t Mo ni z S ec re tary of E n e rgy U.S. D e p artm e nt o f E n e rgy 1 0 0 0 In depen de n ce Ave n ue SW Was hin gto n , DC 20585 D ea r Sec reta ry Mo ni z, Jun e 1 2, 2 01 5

I w ri te thi s J e tt e r t o ur ge yo u to pos tpo ne th e rul e m ak ing regul at i ng n on wea th eri zed n atura l gas fu rn aces, as se t fo rth in th e Fe d era l Register n ot ice of Proposed Rul e m a kin g (NO PR ). I am co n cerne d th at th e ru le wo u ld a d ve rse l y im pact l ow -in co m e re nte r s a nd h o m eowne r s. As a m embe r of Co n g ress , I full y suppo rt e n ergy efficie nc y s tand ard s w h e n th ey r ed u ce m o nthl y utilit y costs and ca r bo n em i ssio n s, pa rt ic u la rl y fo r t h ose in v uln e r a bl e com mun iti es. H owever, I fea r th a t th e propose d rul e wo u ld d o n e ith e r , an d res ult i n hi g he r e n e rgy cos t s fo r l ow -in co m e co n s um e rs in t he lo n g run. Th e p roposed ru le m aking m a nd a t es re pl ace me n t of n o n- co n de n si n g n atu ra l gas furn aces w it h n ewer c o nd e n s in g m ode l s . Whi le mo re e n e r gy effic ie nt, co nd e n s in g mode l s req uir e s i g ni fi c a n t up-fro nt p ur c h ase an d in sta ll at io n costs
. O n average, co nd e n s in g fu rn aces cos t a b o ut $357 m o re th a n n o n- co nd e n s i ng m ode l s, a n d often re quire an a dditi o n a l $ 1 , 5 0 0

- $2,200 in in s t a ll at io n cos t s du e to retrofitt in g r e qui red to acco mm o d ate t he co nd e n s in g eq ui p m e nt. T hese costs can b e mu c h hi g he r in o ld er buildin gs an d apartm e nt s w he re access to o ut s ide ve ntil a ti o n i s n ot ava il ab le . T h e hi g h cos t of in sta ll at io n a n d rep laceme nt w ill d ete r la ndl ord s from adopti ng co nd e n s in g n a tu ra l gas fu rn aces. La ndl ords w ill b e un ab le to secure financ i ng because le nd i n g m e tri cs d o no t conve rt suc h in ves tm e nt s into reve nu e for loan repayment, and la ndl o rd s a re n o t li ke l y to pay o u t-of- p oc ke t. J.n stead , la ndl o rd s w ill s hi ft fro m ene rgy ef

fi c i e nt n o n -co n de n s in g n a tu ra l gas furn aces t o l ess effic ie nt non - natu ra l gas app li ances, w hi c h ar e l ess ex p e n s ive to in sta ll b ut m o re cos t ly to o p erate
. Low -i ncome te n ants who pay th e ir ow n utiliti es w ill see t he ir heat in g costs dou bl e, and other te n a nts whose heati n g cos t s a re p a i d by th e l a n d lo rd w ill see th e ir re nt in c rease d , to cover t h e landlo rd 's ad d i t iona l h ea tin g expe n ses. L ow -in co m e h o m eow n e r s w ill m ake s im il a r c h o ices for th e sa m e reaso n s. Ma ny lo w- i nco m e h omeow n e r s can n ot access co n sumer loa n s , and do n ot have t he eq uity o r cas h sav in gs to affo rd t he s ig n ifi can t upfro n t costs of a co n densing 

### na tur a

l gas furna ce .

bi s h op.e m a il @ ma il.h o u se . gov • www. h o u se . gov/bishop PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERSecr e t a ry Moniz 

### 6/12/15 P a ge 2 Whi le it i s tru e that l ow-i n co me consumers wo ul d sav e mo n ey in th e l ong run by sw itchin g to a conden s ing furnace , m a ny lo w -i nc o m e famil i es d on' t h ave th e finan c ial fl ex i b i lity to make deci s ion s b ased on life-c y cl e - costs. As a res ult , th ese homeowners wi ll adopt a furna ce app l ian ce th at i s le ss ex p e n s i ve to in s ta ll , but m ore expe n s i ve to operate , res u ltin g in heatin g bills that are doub le th e cos t of th e ir n o n - co nden si n g n atu ra l gas furnac e. The potentia l harm to low -income t e n a nt s and hom eow n e r s i s substa n. t\a\. These fami l ies and t hei r land lords w ill avoid t h e n ecessa ry re trofittin g ex pen se and switch t o al ternat ive h ea t i n g systems , w hic h wo u ld b e l ess ex p e n s i ve to in sta ll , but more costly and l ess ene rgy efficient in the lo n g run. I re cog n ize that ac hi ev in g e n e rgy efficiency i s a nati ona l imperat ive among a ll Amer icans, but it i s n o t a proce ss th at can b e purs ued by imp os in g d i spropo rti o n ate burdens on an y s in g le co mmuni ty, particu larly those le as t ab le to be ar the cos t
. I ask th e Department to delay the proposed ru lema king until th e re s ult s described above can b e avo ided. I lo o k forward to workin g w i t h yo u to fi nd a solu tion to thi s i mpo r tant matte r.

Wit h warm regard s , I re ma in

San ord D
. B i s hop , 

### Jr. Me b er of Co n g ress